Jiraiya's laughter echoed through the cavernous underground facility, making the overhead lights buzz.
"Hahaha! Orochimaru, I should have taken a photo of that look on your face. You looked like you'd never seen the world before!"
Jiraiya clapped a hand heavily onto Orochimaru's shoulder, completely ignoring his old friend's look of pure disgust. "Did you really think we'd just destroy such a precious 'specimen'? That's an Otsutsuki! A living—albeit heavily injured—Otsutsuki!"
Orochimaru sidestepped Jiraiya's grasp, his golden slit pupils narrowing as his gaze locked onto the purple toad.
"If that's the case, then how did you do it just now?"
"Don't the Otsutsuki absorb ninjutsu?"
Orochimaru's voice was raspy, filled with an urgent thirst for knowledge. "That aura of devouring heaven and earth was no fake. Isshiki's chakra signature definitely vanished completely."
"What I used wasn't a ninjutsu. Strictly speaking, it's more like a Divine Power."
"And the disappearance of Isshiki's chakra doesn't mean he's dead."
Gamakon lazily rolled over onto his back, resting his front paws behind his head. "My stomach contains Sumeru Sealing, a small world independent of the Shinobi World. As long as I don't turn on my digestive enzymes, he's just a specimen in there."
With that, Gamakon opened his mouth.
"Blegh—"
There was no disgusting slime; instead, a flash of purple light flickered.
A transparent bubble appeared out of thin air on the table.
The bubble was only the size of a fist, and inside it floated a miniature figure.
It was none other than Isshiki Otsutsuki.
He still held the same posture of panicked struggle from before he was swallowed, his expression frozen in utter despair.
His body was curled up, surrounded by rings of purple sage energy chains that tightly locked the power of the 'Karma' inside him.
He looked like a meticulously crafted figurine.
"Hiss—"
Orochimaru inhaled sharply, his long tongue flicking out uncontrollably to lick his lips.
"He's alive... He's actually still alive."
Orochimaru leaned in, his face almost touching the bubble. "His bodily functions have stopped, but the cell activity is still there. This technique..."
"Well? Want it?"
Gamakon extended a finger and poked the bubble. Inside, Isshiki Otsutsuki rolled around like a ball. "This is an imported alien. It should help us understand more about the Otsutsuki."
Orochimaru snapped his head up to look at Minato Namikaze.
"Hokage-sama."
Orochimaru's breathing grew heavy. "Can you leave this specimen to me? If you give me enough time, I can analyze the mechanics of 'Karma' and even reverse-engineer the Otsutsuki's physiological structure!"
"That is exactly why we left him alive."
Minato leaned against the lab table, arms crossed, his expression calm. "Playing that scene in front of Kaguya-senpai was to put her at ease. After all, if she knew Isshiki was still alive, she wouldn't be able to sleep or eat in peace. She might even lose control and try to kill him immediately."
"But for us, Isshiki is a treasure trove."
Minato pointed at the bubble. "Whether it's chakra conversion efficiency, the application of Space-Time Ninjutsu, or that strange 'shrinking' ability—all of it represents a missing link in Konoha's current technology tree."
"Orochimaru."
Minato looked at Orochimaru with a solemn tone. "I'm authorizing you with full responsibility for the research project on Isshiki Otsutsuki. Gamakon will assist you. The village will provide full support for whatever resources you need."
"Hehehe..."
Orochimaru let out a low laugh, his shoulders shaking violently.
"Marvelous... Simply marvelous."
He turned around, surveying the room full of precision instruments. The fanaticism in his eyes was almost overflowing.
He reached out, wanting to touch the bubble.
But the moment his finger was about to make contact, he stopped.
The feverish look on Orochimaru's face gradually cooled, replaced by deep conflict and distress.
"What's wrong?" Jiraiya leaned in. "You were looking at it like a pervert staring at a beauty a second ago. Why the long face now?"
"We don't have enough manpower."
Orochimaru sighed, his brow furrowed. "Materials alone aren't enough. Analyzing a life form of the Otsutsuki's caliber covers too many fields."
He counted on his fingers. "Mapping the genetic sequence requires top-tier medical ninja. Deciphering the 'Karma' seal requires a master of sealing arts. Chakra nature transformation requires theoretical experts. Then there's the data monitoring for Space-Time Ninjutsu..."
Orochimaru scanned the busy assistants in the lab.
Most of them were orphans he had gathered in Konoha or Chunin who were interested in science.
They were fine for basic experiments, but if they were asked to handle a project as advanced as the Otsutsuki, they probably wouldn't even be able to read the data.
"Mediocre... All of them are mediocre."
Orochimaru shook his head, his voice full of disappointment. "They're too clumsy to even wash a test tube."
"On my own, even if I work without sleep or rest, it would take at least fifty years to fully analyze this specimen."
"Fifty years?" Gamakon curled his lip. "By then, the opportunity will have long passed. The Otsutsuki main branch won't wait fifty years for you."
Minato understood the difficulty. He spread his hands helplessly. "A clever cook cannot make a meal without rice. We are indeed lacking in technical personnel in these cutting-edge research fields."
Minato and Jiraiya locked eyes.
Both saw the same thought reflected in the other's gaze.
"Since Konoha doesn't have enough talent..."
Minato straightened up and walked over to Orochimaru. "Then we'll just have to scout for talent from other nations."
"From outside?" Orochimaru raised an eyebrow.
"The Shinobi World is vast."
Minato walked to the wall where a massive map of the Shinobi World hung.
He trailed his finger across the map.
"Chiyo of the Hidden Sand. Though she is old, she has unique insights into toxicology and human body modification—her puppetry. If we can combine puppet techniques with cloning, we might solve the issue of vessel strength."
He moved his finger toward the Land of Earth.
"Ohnoki of the Hidden Stone. That old man might be stubborn, but his Particle Style involves disassembly and reconstruction at the atomic level. This would be incredibly helpful in analyzing the physical structure of the Otsutsuki."
His finger continued, landing on the Land of Lightning.
"The Hidden Cloud is at the forefront of the Shinobi World in terms of chakra weaponization. Their Chakra Cannon design, while crude, is terrifyingly powerful. If we can incorporate their technology, we might create weapons specifically designed to target the Otsutsuki."
Finally, his finger stopped on the Land of Water.
"The Hidden Mist may be isolated, but they have the deepest research into Kekkei Genkai. That girl, Mei Terumi, is implementing reforms; she might be our breakthrough point."
Minato turned around and looked at Orochimaru. "Science has no borders. Since the Otsutsuki are an enemy of the entire Shinobi World, this research shouldn't be conducted by Konoha alone."
Orochimaru was stunned.
He looked at the young Hokage, a flash of surprise in his eyes.
In his memory, shinobi villages had always been suspicious of one another, and technical blockades were the highest priority.
Sharing your most core research?
That would have been considered a fairy tale in the past.
"Minato, are you serious?" Jiraiya rubbed his chin, his expression grave. "This is the Otsutsuki. If other villages master this power, in the future..."
"If we can't stop the Otsutsuki main branch in the future, everyone dies," Minato interrupted. "Faced with an extinction-level threat, the petty interests and conflicts between villages become insignificant."
"Besides," Gamakon interjected, chewing on a chakra candy he had pulled from somewhere. "We're holding Kaguya as our ace in the hole. Why worry about being unable to control the situation? If anyone tries anything funny, we just let Kaguya loose on them."
"Furthermore, the core technology will definitely remain in our hands."
Gamakon pointed at Orochimaru. "You're the chief engineer. Those from other villages will just be 'Elite Grunts' working under you. Let them provide the people, the effort, and the money, and then we share the results. It's a win-win."
Orochimaru's eyes lit up.
Elite Grunts?
Strange words always came out of this toad's mouth, but sometimes they were oddly fitting.
Why did that term sound so pleasant to his ears?
"Hehehe..." Orochimaru extended his tongue, his smile growing even more sinister. "If that's the case, I have no objections. In fact... I'm looking forward to it."
"But will they agree?" Orochimaru asked. "Those relics of the old era might not necessarily believe some nonsense about an alien invasion."
"They won't have a choice but to believe it."
A sharp glint flashed in Minato's eyes. "Kaguya-senpai's existence is the best proof. Besides, we can leak a bit of news about Isshiki being captured."
"Fear is the best catalyst for human unity."
Minato straightened his collar, regaining his persona as the decisive Hokage.
"Jiraiya-sensei."
"I need you to make a trip."
Minato said, "In the name of the Hokage, issue the highest-level invitations to the Kage of the other four Great Shinobi Villages and the General of the Land of Iron."
"Invite them to Konoha to participate in the first Five Kage Summit."
"There is only one topic on the agenda—"
Minato paused, his voice powerful and resonant.
"The survival of the Shinobi World."